The College of Health and Care Professionals of BC has made changes (amendments) to the CHCPBC Bylaws. During the consultation phase, licensees received an invitation to provide feedback on the proposed amendments. Fifty-four submissions were received, reviewed and discussed. These have now been approved by the CHCPBC Board, and took effect October 31, 2026.
Bylaw changes at a glance
Profession: Speech-language pathology
- Effective October 31, 2026, speech-language pathology licensees no longer require certification to perform tracheostomy management without speaking valve, in line with the Health and Care Professionals Regulation. (Part 7 – Certified Practice)
Profession: Psychology applicants
- The Bylaws now reflect the existing requirement for master’s-level psychologists applying from Alberta to demonstrate competencies in formal assessment and diagnosis when applying to CHCPBC through labour mobility. Applicants without such competencies will need to complete additional supervised practice to achieve equivalency with the eligibility standard in BC for a doctorate degree in psychology from a Recognized Program. This is to ensure all applicants and licensees perform to the full scope of practice authorized in Regulation. (Part 6 – Licensure and Schedule 8 – Equivalency Determination Process and Criteria)
Professions: Optometry and Physical Therapy
- We streamlined the process for Health Profession Corporation (HPC) name approval. (Part 8 – Permit)
- We clarified requirements for professional liability insurance for HPCs. (Part 8 – Permit)
Applicants from all professions
- We clarified the distinction between the two types of organizations: those that evaluate education equivalence (applies to four professions), and those that verify education credentials (applies to five professions). (Schedule 4 – Education Evaluation Organizations and Verification Organizations)
Additionally, minor wording and formatting changes were made to ensure consistency and clarity in the bylaws.
Resources
This is a high-level summary of the changes. For more information, please refer to:
- Draft Bylaw Amendments Overview (PDF) created during the consultation process
- CHCPBC Bylaws (PDF)
